SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-119.01 PHASE 3D / AMSAT OSCAR 40 UPDATE AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 119.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 29, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-119.01 April continues with recovery efforts concerning AO-40. The satellite is healthy and recent reports indicate that very good telemetry along with excellent downlink signals have been received recently. The most exciting news is that successful transponder and matrix operation has been performed. The following is from AMSAT-DL: Dear All, On orbit 226, the U, L and U+L receiver passbands were connected to the (S-2) S-band downlink and were briefly checked out by command stations G3RUH and W4SM - using PSK, CW and SSB signals for the uplink. The tests worked extremely well and confirm that the matrix switch is working in these combinations. This prepares the way, with confidence, for transponder operation very soon, when the attitude approaches ALON-0/ALAT-0, via on-going magnetorquing. Stay tuned for further announcements regarding general transponder operations! 73, Peter, DB2OS, for the AO-40 Command Team (end) AMSAT-NA President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, recently completed a conversation with the ARRL concerning AO-40; the complete story is included here: AMSAT-NA President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, this week raised the possibility that AO-40 could inaugurate transponder operation this summer, if tests and orbital maneuvers between now and then go as planned. "We are learning how to fly this thing," Haighton said. "But I still think we're going to end up with a darned good satellite." The most likely initial transponder configurations would be Mode US, or 435 MHz up and 2.4 GHz down -- and Mode LS -- 1.2 GHz up and 2.4 GHz down. "It looks like a good bet," Haighton said of the probability that the two modes would prove useful from the damaged satellite. He predicted that Mode US operation from AO-40 would surpass what had been available a few years ago from the now-defunct AO-13. "We're getting something like 27 dB more signal." Recent data from the spacecraft suggest that the mid-December incident that silenced AO-40 for two weeks and rendered some systems unusable also might have blown a hole in the spacecraft. Haighton said ground controllers have detected a distinct rise in temperature when the Sun faces parts of AO-40. "Speculation is there could be damage, and sunlight is getting right in," he said. That theory would go along with the loss of the satellite's omni-directional antennas, Haighton added. The speculated opening was not causing any major problems, he said, but it could explain why efforts to adjust AO-40's attitude via magnetorquing have been unpredictable. As the AO-40 recovery effort continues, Haighton said, ground controllers plan to boost the satellite's orbit in the very near future. That process, using the onboard arc-jet motor, could take up to several weeks. The AO-40 team hopes the maneuver will minimize or eliminate possible effects on the satellite's orbit caused by atmospheric expansion at the peak of the solar cycle. AO-40 currently is approximately 200 miles above Earth at perigee and some 31,600 miles at apogee. Plans call for raising the orbit at perigee to around 320 miles. The maneuver would "hardly affect" the satellite's apogee, Haighton said. The arc-jet would be operated without electrically igniting it -- using the pressure of the ammonia fuel alone. This would yield about half the normal thrust, Haighton said. Once the orbit has been adjusted, ground controllers would orient the spacecraft's attitude and check out the various onboard transmitter and receiver systems to see what works and what does not. "We're still pretty confident that the 2-meter and 70-cm transmitters are not there," Haighton said, "but we're equally confident that the receivers for those bands still are." The satellite has been transmitting telemetry on the 2.4 GHz (S-2) beacon, and signals reportedly have continued to improve - although the beacon has been out from time to time as needed to conserve power during eclipse periods. Ground controllers recently commanded the YACE camera to take several pictures, starting with orbit 216, and 11 images were downloaded. "The pictures show the characteristic rings and blisters that have been detected on the YACE photographs since the December 13 incident (damage to the lens from fuel residue?)," said a posting on the AMSAT-DL Web site. A prevailing theory about the image degradation was that the camera may have been damaged by direct sunlight into its lens, but James Miller, G3RUH, in an analysis subtitled "Did the Cameras Fry?" has disputed that notion. Full deployment of the spacecraft's solar panels is still "down the road at least two to three months," Haighton said. Also uncertain was the satellite's ultimate inclination with respect to the equator. It was planned for AO-40 to have a 60-degree inclination, but given the satellite's compromised circumstances, "we'll be lucky if we can get 10 or 15 degrees," Haighton said. The current inclination is six degrees. (end) Paul, VP9MU, reported that additional pictures (using the YACE camera) were performed at the end of orbit 225. AO-40 then downloaded the photos via D-block telemetry through orbit 226. Paul reported that "we expect around 180 D-blocks in the complete set." Moe, AE4JY, reported the following concerning his AO40Rcv Telemetry decoding program: "I just found a nasty bug in the AO40Rcv program. It will crash if it is started in the minimized state. The bad part of this is that if the program is closed when minimized, it will always try to start up in a minimized state." Moe reports a fix for this condition will be listed on the AE4JY web site in the near future. [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA, AMSAT-DL and the ARRL for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-119.02 STS-100 MISSION CONTINUES TO ALPHA AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 119.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 29, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-119.02 Mission STS-100 continues as this edition of ANS is broadcast. During the past week troubleshooting efforts designed to restore full capability to Alpha's three redundant command and control computers continued. Initial troubleshooting efforts have failed to resolve the problem, and flight controllers once again worked a procedure to re-string data management functions to the third computer, however, the computer problems continue and flight control teams are evaluating the situation. Reloading the Raffaello logistics module with unneeded station equipment and supplies for return to Earth also took place. The Italian Space Agency-provided Raffaello logistics module is now loaded with 1,600 pounds of material and is tucked securely in Endeavour's payload bay. A practice run with the new station arm to rehearse moves the arm must make during the next shuttle assembly mission to the station (to attach a new airlock) were also conducted. As this edition of ANS was prepared, Endeavour had backed away from the International Space Station as the two spacecraft soared 240 miles over the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia. As Pilot Jeff Ashby slowly backed Endeavour away, Commander Kent Rominger and Expedition-2 flight engineer Susan Helms exchanged final wishes for Endeavour's planned return to Earth, and a continued safe journey for the station crew. Once Endeavour was at a distance of 450 feet from the station, Ashby initiated a three-quarter circle flyaround of the station as Mission Specialist Yuri Lonchakov activated a large-format IMAX camera in Endeavour's payload bay to photograph the station. On board the station, the Expedition-2 crew - Commander Yury Usachev and Flight Engineers Jim Voss and Helms - will enjoy some time off following a busy week on orbit. Early Monday morning, they will support the docking of a replacement Soyuz spacecraft that will serve as the station's lifeboat. The Soyuz and its crew of three, Commander Talgat Musabayev, Flight Engineer Yuri Baturin and American businessman Dennis Tito -- is scheduled to dock very early Monday morning. The ARISS team informed ANS that the crew had left the ISS ham radio gear turned on recently. Several stations reported QSO's with ISS, including AMSAT Awards Manager Bruce Paige, KK5DO, and AMSAT-NA Vice President W2RS. Ray reported working Jeff Ashby, The shuttle pilot of the STS-100 mission. Ken, WA1QXR, also worked Ashby. Ken was mobile at the time using 20-watts into a 5/8-wavelength vertical on car roof. Those that are still unclear on how to work the ISS Amateur Radio system are encouraged to carefully review the ARISS web page located at: http://ariss.gsfc.nasa.gov/ [ANS thanks NASA an the ARISS team for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-119.03 ANS IN BRIEF AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 119.03 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 29, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-119.03 ANS news in brief this week includes the following: ** Amateur Radio antenna bills have made significant legislative headway in Alaska and Nevada. The Alaska bill is on its way to the governor, while the Nevada measure has cleared the state Assembly and is bound for the state Senate. -ARRL ** The U.S. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Global Hawk made international aviation history when it completed the first non-stop flight across the Pacific Ocean by an autonomous aircraft, flying from Edwards Air Force Base to RAAF Base Edinburgh, South Australia. -SpaceDaily ** AMSAT-NA has been invited to set up a display at the Air and Space Museum for Space Day, Thursday, May 3rd. Perry, W3PK, reports the demonstration will be called 'Build Your Own Satellite - Learn how radio amateurs build and launch satellites for science and ham radio communication'. Perry says that "if all goes to plan, Senator John Glenn may stop by for an autograph session for some of the children later in the afternoon. -Perry, W3PK ** The SETI League has placed on the air a transmitter that bounces microwave signals off the moon's surface for use in testing Earth-based radiotelescopes. Operating on 1296 MHz under the call W2ETI, the EME beacon enables amateur and professional radio astronomers to calibrate their receiving systems by providing a stable reference signal from a known point in the sky. The SETI League's EME beacon received its first shakedown in March. -ARRL ** A Brazilian telecommunications satellite will be launched on a Delta rocket in 2002. The launch of the Estrela do Sul satellite, which will provide telecommunications services to North and South America, is scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station during the second half of 2002. -SpaceDaily ** Last week California businessman Dennis Tito received the green light from Russia to become a space tourist, in addition, Tito has received a waiver from the International Space Station Partnership to make his trip. There are some very strict conditions attached to Tito's visit including his signature on a document that says neither he nor his heirs will hold any of the ISS partners liable for anything that might happen to him. It is unknown how much time (if any) Tito, now KG6FZX, will be active using the ARISS gear on Alpha. -Newsline/ANS ** NASA recently extended the successful Galileo spacecraft's mission until January 2003 to continue study of Jupiter's fascinating moons, particularly the extremely volcanic moon Io. But scientists now say that a planned power-down of Galileo's imaging suite at the end of this year will hamstring efforts to solve Io's many mysteries. -SpaceDaily ** Barry, KG4LAK, and Stephen, KD7LKG, students at Washington University are working on a prototype of a future satellite that they hope to place onboard an upcoming attempt to circumnavigate the world by balloon. They are currently working with Roy, W0SL, on the design of the prototype. More information is available by sending an e-mail to: VolStations@hotmail.com. -KG4LAK and KD7LKG ** NEAR mission science team members have concluded that the majority of the small features that make up the surface of asteroid Eros more likely came from an unrelenting bombardment from space debris more than any internal processes. -SpaceDaily --ANS BULLETIN END--- /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-119.04 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 1 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 119.04 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 29, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-119.04 Phase 3D / AMSAT OSCAR 40 / AO-40 Launched: November 16, 2000 aboard an Ariane 5 launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: S-Band transmitter is active, recovery efforts continue. The V-band, U-band and the L-band (L1) receivers are working on the the high-gain antennas. The omni-directional antennas appear to be non-functional. Recovery efforts continue. [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA and AMSAT-DL for this information] INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION/ARISS Worldwide packet uplink: 145.990 MHz Region 1 voice uplink: 145.200 MHz Region 2/3 voice uplink: 144.490 MHz Worldwide downlink: 145.800 MHz TNC callsign NOCALL ARISS initial station launched September 2000 aboard shuttle Atlantis. ARISS is made up of delegates from major national Amateur Radio organizations, including AMSAT. Status: Operational. Voice contacts with ISS have been made recently. The ISS packet station is available for UI packets (APRS or UI QSL). The mailbox and keyboard are currently disabled. Please see the packet section of the ARISS web page before attempting to first work ISS on packet. U.S. callsign: NA1SS Russian callsigns: RS0ISS, RZ3DZR The QSL routes for W/VE stations working NA1SS aboard the International Space Station: U.S. stations: Margie Bourgoin KB1DCO Attn: ARISS Expedition-1 (or 2) QSL ARRL, 225 Main Street Newington, Connecticut 06111 Canadian stations: Radio Amateurs of Canada Attn: ARISS Expedition-1 (or 2) QSL 720 Belfast Road, Suite 217 Ottawa, Ontario K1G 0Z5 A self-addressed, stamped envelope is required to get a QSL in return. The ARISS international group has not yet finalized a QSL card design. It will be a few months before cards become available. More information about the project can be found on the ARISS web site at http://ariss.gsfc.nasa.gov. [ANS thanks ARISS team member Will Marchant, KC6ROL, for this information] RADIO SPORT RS-12 Uplink 145.910 to 145.950 MHz CW/SSB Downlink 29.410 to 29.450 MHz CW/SSB Beacon 29.408 MHz Launched: February 5, 1991 aboard a Russian Cosmos C launcher Status: RS-12 was re-activated in mode A on January 1, 2001 Kevin, N2TO, recently made his first mode-A contact via RS-12, congratulations from ANS! The latest information on RS-12 and RS-13 can be found on the AC5DK RS-12/13 Satellite Operators page at: http://www.qsl.net/ac5dk/rs1213/rs1213.html [ANS thanks Kevin Manzer, AC5DK, for RS-12 information] RADIO SPORT RS-15 Uplink 145.858 to 145.898 MHz CW/SSB Downlink 29.354 to 29.394 MHz CW/SSB Beacon 29.352 MHz (intermittent) SSB meeting frequency 29.380 MHz (unofficial) Launched: December 26, 1994 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome Status: Semi-operational, mode-A, using a 2-meter uplink and a 10-meter downlink Mike, N1JEZ, reports that although RS-15 can be very frustrating, he recently heard his downlink using his 10-meter turnstile (no external preamp) and 50-watts into his VHF beam. His downlink was S-3 with some QSB. The beacon was S-5. This was a 31-degree pass over N1JEZ's QTH. Dave, WB6LLO, has operating information for both RS-15 on his web site. In addition to satellite data, antenna information for mode-A operation is also featured. The WB6LLO web site URL is: http://home.san.rr.com/doguimont/uploads [ANS thanks Dave Guimont, WB6LLO, for this information] OSCAR 10 AO-10 Uplink 435.030 to 435.180 MHz CW/LSB Downlink 145.975 to 145.825 MHz CW/USB Beacon 145.810 MHz (unmodulated carrier) Launched: June 16, 1983 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Semi-operational, mode-B. AO-10 has been locked into a 70-cm uplink and a 2-meter downlink for several years. DX continues to be heard and worked on AO-10. W4SM has more information about the satellite at the following URL: http://www.cstone.net/~w4sm/AO-10.html [ANS thanks Stacey Mills, W4SM, for his AO-10 status information and web site] AMRAD AO-27 Uplink 145.850 MHz FM Downlink 436.795 MHz FM Launched: September 26, 1993 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Operational, mode J. Periodically, AO-27's analog repeater will be turned off for a few days at a time to enable ground controllers to gather Whole Orbital Data (WOD), to verify the health of the satellite. An AO-27 question-and-answer page is available on the AMSAT-NA web site. The URL is: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/intro/ao27faq.html. AO-27 uses a method called Timed Eclipse Power Regulation (TEPR) to regulate the on-board batteries. In simple terms, TEPR times how long the satellite has been in an eclipse (or in the sun) and decides what subsystems to turn on or off. TEPR states on AO-27 were reset on March 24, 2001 as follows: TEPR 4 is 38 / TEPR 5 is 78 (TEPR 5 is now 20 minutes long) The AO-27 pages on the AMSAT-NA web site include an explanation of TEPR AO-27 operations (at): http://www.amsat.org/amsat/sats/n7hpr/ao27.html [ANS thanks AMRAD for AO-27 information] UO-14 Uplink 145.975 MHz FM Downlink 435.070 MHz FM Launched: January 22, 1990 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Operational, mode J Tim, KG8OC, features UO-14 information on the Michigan AMSAT web site -- point your web browser to the following URL: http://www.qsl.net/kg8oc [ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, for UO-14 information] JAS-1b FO-20 Uplink 145.90 to 146.00 MHz CW/LSB Downlink 435.80 to 435.90 MHz CW/USB Launched: February 07, 1990 by an H1 launcher from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. Status: Operational. FO-20 is in mode JA continuously Tak, JA2PKI, reported FO-20 control station operators believe that the UVC (Under Voltage Controller) now is regulating the transponder. The UVC monitors battery voltage and tries to protect the batteries from over discharge. [ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK, for the FO-20 status reports] JAS-2 FO-29 Launched: August 17, 1996, by an H-2 launcher from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. Status: Operational Voice/CW Mode JA Uplink 145.90 to 146.00 MHz CW/LSB Downlink 435.80 to 435.90 MHz CW/USB Digital Mode JD Uplink 145.850 145.870 145.910 MHz FM Downlink 435.910 MHz 1200 baud BPSK or 9600 baud FSK Callsign 8J1JCS Digitalker 435.910 MHz The JARL FO-29 command station has announced the following operation schedule of FO-29: through July 2, 2001 - mode JA Mike, KF4FDJ, has put together a very informative document on FO-29, addressing the analog, digital and digi-talker modes. To obtain a copy e-mail Mike at: kf4fdj@amsat.org. Mineo, JE9PEL, has a FO-29 satellite telemetry analysis program that will automatically analyze all digital telemetry from the satellite (such as current, voltage and temperature). The JE9PEL FO-29/shareware is available at the following URL: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/ [ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK, for the FO-29 status reports] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-119.05 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 2 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 119.05 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 29, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-119.05 TIUNGSAT-1 Uplink 145.850 or 145.925 MHz 9600 baud FSK Downlink 437.325 MHz Broadcast callsign MYSAT3-11 BBS MYSAT3-12 Launched: September 26, 2000 aboard a converted Soviet ballistic missile from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Status: Operational at 38k4 baud FSK Chris, G7UPN, tells ANS that TiungSat-1 has been operating at a data rate of 38k4. Data recovery at 38k4 is reported to be extremely good with efficiencies near 100%. The output power is at 8-watts "which should provide a very good downlink," said Chris, adding "the downside is that with the high power transmitter operating, the power budget is negative so we can't support continuous operation." According to G7UPN, TiungSat-1 now requires the Amateur Radio Station to switch the downlink 'on' when the satellite comes into range. The way this works is for the ground station software to send a request to the spacecraft to switch the downlink on. The spacecraft receives this request and checks the battery voltage to see if it can support the operation, and if it can it will activate the downlink. TiungSat-1 is Malaysia's first micro-satellite and in addition to commercial land and weather imaging payloads offers FM and FSK Amateur Radio communication. TiungSat-1, named after the mynah bird of Malaysia, was developed as a collaborative effort between the Malaysian government and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. For more information on TiungSat-1, visit the following URL: http://www.yellowpages.com.my/tiungsat/tiung_main.htm [ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, for this information] KITSAT KO-25 Uplink 145.980 MHz FM (9600 baud FSK) Downlink 436.500 MHz FM Broadcast Callsign HL02-11 BBS HL02-12 Launched: September 26, 1993 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Operational Jim, AA7KC, reports KO-25 is operational with low traffic. Downlink efficiencies are still in the low 50% range. UOSAT UO-22 Uplink 145.900 or 145.975 MHz FM 9600 baud FSK Downlink 435.120 MHz FM Broadcast Callsign UOSAT5-11 BBS UOSAT5-12 Launched: July 17, 1991 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Operational Jim, AA7KC, reports UO-22 is operational with heavy individual and Sat-gate traffic. Downlink efficiency is in the 70% range. More information on the satellite is available at the following URL: http://www.sstl.co.uk/ [ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, for UO-22 information and Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, for status information] OSCAR-11 Downlink 145.825 MHz FM (1200 baud AFSK) Mode-S Beacon 2401.500 MHz Launched: March 1, 1984 by a Delta-Thor rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Status: Operational Clive Wallis, G3CWV, reports that he has updated his processing software for OSCAR-11, correcting a Y2K problem with Keplerian elements. The updated packages can now be downloaded from his web site. Ground control operations have now corrected the dates in ASCII status blocks, reset the magnetorquer counters and started a new WOD survey. However, users should also note that there is still a 3-day error in the hardware generated ASCII telemetry date. The time in the ASCII telemetry continues to advance and the error is now about 18 minutes. Unfortunately these errors cannot be corrected. During the period 14-March to 17-April, 2001 reliable signals have been received from the 145 MHz beacon. Battery voltage observed during daylight passes has continued to decrease. The average value observed was 13.6 with a range of 13.2 to 13.9 volts. Internal temperatures have continued to decrease by one degree. They are now 2.0C and 0.4C for battery and telemetry electronics respectively. Magnetometer calibrations have steadily changed during many years in orbit. Although the changes are small and are not noticeable on a plot of individual channels, they do have a considerable effect when the total magnetic field is calculated. The spin period has varied between 207 and 339 seconds. Ground control has now reset the magnetorquer counters. The operating schedule is as follows: ASCII status (210 seconds) ASCII bulletin (60 seconds) BINARY SEU (30 seconds) ASCII TLM (90 seconds) ASCII WOD (120 seconds) ASCII bulletin (60 seconds) BINARY ENG (30 seconds) The ASCII bulletin is currently a static message, detailing modes and frequencies of all active amateur radio satellites. More information on OSCAR-11 is available at the following URL: http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/clivew/ [ANS thanks Clive Wallis, G3CWV, for OSCAR-11 status information] PACSAT AO-16 Uplink 145.90 145.92 145.94 145.96 MHz FM (using 1200 baud Manchester FSK) Downlink 437.025 MHz SSB (RC-BPSK 1200 baud PSK) Mode-S Beacon 2401.1428 MHz Broadcast Callsign: PACSAT-11 BBS PACSAT-12 Launched: January 22, 1990 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Semi-operational, the digipeater command is on. At last report telemetry was as follows: uptime is 432/17:20:00. Time is Fri Apr 20 20:57:04 2001 +X (RX) Temp -13.919 D RX Temp 0.603 D BCR Input Cur 0.314 A BCR Output Cur 0.348 A Bat 1 Temp 3.629 D Bat 2 Temp 4.839 D Baseplt Temp 4.839 D PSK TX RF Out 1.374 W RC PSK BP Temp -2.422 D RC PSK HPA Tmp -3.027 D +Y Array Temp -15.129 D PSK TX HPA Tmp -0.002 D +Z Array Temp -18.155 D Total Array C= 0.299 Bat Ch Cur= 0.005 Ifb= 0.015 I+10V= 0.329 TX:1009 BCR:74 PWRC:36D BT:1E WC:25 EDAC:AA A new WOD collection of current graphics along with general information and telemetry samples can be found at: www.telecable.es/personales/ea1bcu [ANS thanks Miguel Menendez, EA1BCU, for AO-16 status information] UoSAT-12 UO-36 Uplink 145.960 MHz (9600 baud FSK) Downlink 437.025 MHz 437.400 MHz Broadcast Callsign UO121-11 BBS UO121-12 Launched: April 21, 1999 by a Russian launcher from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Status: Operational Happy birthday UO-36, two years in space this month! UO-36 carries a number of imaging payloads, digital store-and-forward communications and mode L/S transponders. NASA has demonstrated on UO-36 the ability to use standard Internet protocols to communicate with an orbiting spacecraft (just like any node on the Internet). NASA has been developing this project by working with the commercial payload aboard UoSAT-12. The BBS is open, although uploading and downloading may be disabled at times. The VK5HI viewer shareware for UO-36 is available on the AMSAT-NA web site at the following URL: ftp://ftp.amsat.org/amsat/software/win32/display/ccddsp97-119.zip Further information on UO-36 is available from: http://www.sstl.co.uk/ [ANS thanks Chris G7UPN/ZL2TPO, and the University of Surrey for this information] ITAMSAT IO-26 Uplink 145.875 145.900 145.925 145.950 MHz FM (1200 baud) Downlink 435.822 MHz SSB Broadcast Callsign ITMSAT-11 BBS ITMSAT-12 Launched: September 26, 1993 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Semi-operational, the digipeater function is on and open for APRS users. [ANS thanks ITAMSAT Project Manager Alberto E. Zagni, I2KBD, for IO-26 information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-119.06 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 3 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 119.06 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 29, 2001 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-119.06 THE FOLLOWING ARE IN ORBIT BUT ARE NON-OPERATIONAL AT THIS TIME: TMSAT-1 TO-31 Uplink 145.925 MHz (9600 baud FSK) Downlink 436.925 MHz (9600 baud FSK) Broadcast Callsign: TMSAT1-11 BBS TMSAT1-12 Launched: July 10, 1998 by a Zenit rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Status: Non-operational, no data downlinked since December 18, 2000. Jim, AA7KC, reported recently to ANS that TO-31 has been non-operational over North America for the past several months. Chris G7UPN, (UoSAT operations manager) reports the following to ANS: The TO-31 downlink will be off over most areas, with the exception of Europe and Thailand. This is required to allow control stations to recondition the battery with minimum power drain. ProcMail V2.00G has been released by G7UPN. This software permits the processing of image files from TO-31. It has been posted to the AMSAT-NA FTP site at the following URL: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/software/win32/wisp Many of the high-resolution color images transmitted by TMSAT are compressed using a UoSAT compression format. This format is supported by the VK5HI CCD display program. [ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, for TO-31 status information] LUSAT LO-19 Uplink 145.84 145.86 145.88 145.90 MHz FM (using 1200 baud Manchester FSK) CW downlink 437.125 MHz Digital downlink 437.150 MHz SSB (RC-BPSK 1200 baud PSK) Broadcast Callsign LUSAT-11 BBS LUSAT-12 Launched: January 22, 1990 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Beacon only. The CW beacon is sending eight telemetry channels and one status channel on 437.126 MHz. No BBS service is available. The digipeater is not active. Telemetry (limited) is as follows: Sat Time is Fri Apr 20 20:59:04 2001 LUSAT HIHI 60 AUN ADT AVB ADV AUB A66 A6U AE6 Mineo, JE9PEL, has recorded LO-19 CW and PSK telemetry and placed the information on his Internet homepage site at: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/ General information and telemetry samples can be found at: www.telecable.es/personales/ea1bcu [ANS thanks Miguel Menendez, EA1BCU, for LO-19 status information] SO-41 SAUDISAT-1A Uplink to be released Downlink 437.075 MHz Broadcast Callsign SASAT1-11 BBS SASAT1-12 Launched: September 26, 2000 aboard a converted Soviet ballistic missile from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Status: Unknown, this satellite has been in orbit over six months. ANS has received no additional information. SaudiSat-1A will operate as 9600 baud digital store-and-forward systems as well analog FM repeater mode capability. One of two new ham satellites from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia built by the Space Research Institute at the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology. SO-42 SAUDISAT-1B Uplink to be released Downlink 436.775 MHz Broadcast Callsign SASAT2-11 BBS SASAT2-12 Launched: September 26, 2000 aboard a converted Soviet ballistic missile from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Status: Unknown, this satellite has been in orbit over six months. ANS has received no additional information. SaudiSat-1B will operate as 9600 baud digital store-and-forward systems as well analog FM repeater mode capability. One of two new ham satellites from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia built by the Space Research Institute at the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology. SUNSAT SO-35 Mode J Uplink: 145.825 MHz FM Mode J Downlink: 436.250 MHz FM Mode B Uplink: 436.291 MHz FM Mode B Downlink: 145.825 MHz FM Launched: February 23, 1999 by a Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Status: Non-operational The SunSat team released the following statement, dated February 1, 2001: We regret to announce that the last communication with SunSat from our ground station at the Electronic Systems Laboratory at Stellenbosch University took place recently. We are certain, after having performed several tests since the last contact, that an irreversible, physical failure has occurred on the satellite. It is therefore unlikely that we will have any further contact with SunSat, apart from the occasional visual sighting by telescope! When it was operational the SunSat package included 1200 and 9600 baud digital store-and-forward capability and a voice 'parrot' repeater system in addition to Mode B/J operation with two VHF and two UHF transmit-receive systems. For more information on SunSat visit the following URL: http://sunsat.ee.sun.ac.za [ANS thanks Garth Milne, ZR1AFH, for this information] RADIO SPORT RS-13 Uplink 21.260 to 21.300 MHz CW/SSB Downlink 145.860 to 145.900 MHz CW/SSB Beacon 145.860 MHz Launched: February 5, 1991 aboard a Russian Cosmos C launcher Status: non-operational (last operational in mode-T) RS-12 was re-activated in January 2001. Prior to this switch RS-13 was operational (mode T), but was apparently turned off following the recent RS-12 switch. The latest information on RS-12 and RS-13 can be found on the AC5DK RS-12/13 Satellite Operators page at: http://www.qsl.net/ac5dk/rs1213/rs1213.html [ANS thanks Kevin Manzer, AC5DK, for this information] KITSAT KO-23 Uplink 145.900 MHz FM (9600 baud FSK) Downlink 435.170 MHz FM Broadcast Callsign HLO1-11 BBS HLO1-12 Launched: August 10, 1992 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Intermittent operation with the downlink transmitter operating at unpredictable intervals. Jim, AA7KC, reported that KO-23's downlink transmitter continues in non-operational status. Jim says that KO-23 shows some signs of trying to recover, but no useful data has been downlinked. The duration of this status is unpredictable. No data has been received since October 28, 2000. KyungHee Kim, HL0ENJ, reports (from the KO-23 control team) that part of the problem with non-operation has been the power budget aboard the satellite. "We are not sure when the bird might turn off again due to insufficient power. The capability of the onboard power system has been less and less," said Kim. HL0ENJ also noted that as of October 30, 2000 the onboard computer was reset and a reboot of operational software is was underway. [ANS thanks Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, and KyungHee Kim, HL0ENJ, for KO-23 status information] TECHSAT-1B GO-32 Downlink 435.225 MHz using HDLC telemetry Launched: July 10, 1998 by a Russian Zenit rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Status: Semi-operational. Efforts were reported to be underway to bring GO-32 on line, however, no information has been received by ANS (the last report was dated November 1999). Last reported, the satellite does transmit a 9600-baud burst every 30 seconds (the GO-32 beacon sends one short telemetry status transmission of 44 bytes) and upon request the complete telemetry buffer. [ANS has no further information] PANSAT PO-34 Uplink/downlink frequency (listed on the PanSat web site) 436.500 MHz Launched: October 30, 1998 by the Shuttle Discovery Status: Unknown The satellite is not available for general uplink transmissions. The Naval Postgraduate School developed PanSat. At the time of launch, PanSat spread-spectrum digital transponders were promised to be available to Amateur Radio operators along with software to utilize this technology. To date, this has not happened. For more information, visit the official PanSat web site at: http://www.sp.nps.navy.mil/pansat/ PanSat was the featured cover article on the July/August 1999 issue of the AMSAT-NA Journal (the story written by KD6DRA and N7HPR). [ANS has no further information] DOVE DO-17 Downlink 145.825 MHz FM (1200 baud AFSK) 2401.220 MHz Launched: January 22, 1990 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Non-operational. DOVE stopped transmitting in March 1998. The 145.825 MHz and 2401.220 MHz downlinks are off the air and the satellite has not responded to ground station control. [ANS has no further information] WEBERSAT WO-18 Downlink 437.104 MHz SSB (1200 baud PSK AX.25) Launched: January 22, 1990 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Non-operational. WO-18 was last reported to be in MBL mode after a software crash. [ANS has no further information] SEDSAT-1 SO-33 Downlink 437.910 MHz FM (9600 baud FSK) Launched: October 24, 1998 by a Delta 2 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Status: Semi-operational. The satellite is not currently available for uplink transmissions and the image and transponder recovery efforts have been unsuccessful. SedSat-1 signifies Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (satellite number one). SedSat-1 has downlinked months worth of telemetry data on the performance of its electrical power system parameters. The Nickel Metal Hydride batteries on the spacecraft were experimental and experienced some abuse due to a power negative situation. This information has provided NASA with useful information. With the exception of the imaging system and the use of the transponders, SedSat-1 has been judged a success. For more information on SedSat-1 visit the satellite web site at the following URL: http://seds.uah.edu/projects/sedsat/sedsat.htm [ANS has no further information] /EX